Printing form



May 15, 1928.

L. H. MORSE PRINTING FORM Filed July 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet May 15, 1928. 1,669,910

. L. H. MORSE PRINTING FORM Filed July 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l T YAJQGIG gwue ntoz attozmgo Patented May 15, 1928.

"UNITED, STATES PATENT oF-FicE.

LAWRENCE H. MORSE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE AMERICAN MULTI- GRAPH, 00., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A COR'ZPOCRATION OFOHIO.

IRTNTIN G FORM.

Application nled July 6,

This invention relates to printing devices. Anobject is to provide an inexpensive printing form. which may be easily built up to any desired length from articulated parts. Another object is to provide a printing form, the parts of which may be comparatively cheaply manufactured and whichwill acconmiodate type of different pica in various arrangements.

A turtlwr object is to provide an articulated ,printing form which may be mrmnted flatwise as "for a flat bed printing press or in arcuatc form as on a printing drum.

l urther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following :description relating to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown my preferred "form. The essential novel characteristics will be summarized in the claims. I

In thesier a-Wings Fig. 1 isa cross-sectional View taken througha multi zraph machine showing adrurnwith my improved form assembled th'ereon and a coacting impression roller, the paper feeding HWGlIHDlSIIDQCC. being omitted; Fig. 2 is a plan View showing a number of rails and type; 'Fig. is a perspective View of one of the rails; Fig. 4 is, a perspective View of one of the type; Fig. 5 is a cross-section through a number of ails and "type showing the relative position of such members when used on an arcuate support; Fig. "6 is a similar cross ,section showing the relative position of the rails and type when supportedon a flat surface"; Fig. 7 isa- :plan View ota vflat ch'ase showing different sized type assembled thereon.

In carrying out my invention I employ similarly formed-rails, the rails being :arranged to interlock with complete lines of type whereby the form' may be assembled by composing a line of typeont'o 1a gi-ven railythen sliding another rail onto the t h'us composed line of type and so on :until the complete form is made up.

Referring in detail to :the drawings and indicating the parts by suitable characters, A indicates the base frame of a multigraph machine," this machine being illustrated merely for an example of the type of printing mechanism for which my invention is 1926. Serial 3N0. 120K520.

adapted. IB indicatesgenerally the printing drum and C thecooperating impression roller. The dr-um ismounted'on the frame by .meansoi' xasha'lt D and has, asenii-circula-r ype supporting gportion E upon whicl-i :the "type forming .the subject of this. invention may be anounted. Suitable inking mechanism "for (the type may comprise an inking ribbon 1* carried by rolls G, the ribbon being wrapped around theoutsideof the drum to overlie vthe type, this being, the usual n'niltigraph inking device.

The nails 1, preferably-.eompriseelongated bars having .a uniform .Xrshaped cross section, 1115 shown in Fig. '3, wherein 2 indicates ithe enlarged side portions and 3 the reduced central portion. The type are shown in Figs. Land 5 ii-shaving dove tailed slots in their opposite sides as shown at 6. In assembling :the complete form, thetype set- -ter-may :startwith a single rail-and form a single ,line of the type .OVQI' one of the enlLPglI10J1t-S-0P :slidewa-ys 2. He then slips another rail along the :assembled lime in the rowof unoccupied slots-6 and continues in this fashion until the form is set up. The form may be held on a drum. or any arcuate surface as shown in Fig. 1,'wherein 1O indicatesa securing lblockiorstrip ;having a dove tailed slideway 111 in one side thereof, this block being secured to the drum, as shown, by ineansof azseries-of screws, one of which indicated at l2. Simultaneously with sliding the endmost rail 1, into the slideway in theb lock 1(Lthe rail-atthe-otl rer end of the fo-rnn namel y :1 anay .beslid into the .slidewa, 13 in a block 14, shown .as carried on a feted vframe $15. This frame may consist of ;an-elongated sheet metal plate llliLVl'l'lg hooks 16 which unay be sprung over .the shafit :1). When \the fomnis so *assenr bled on the "drum, it may be .put under ten- .sion by tightening, a series of vsetscrews, one being shown zflll L7. againstthe drum gportion 1E. lhisrausesallof :thet-ype slugs to hear at their bases upon the smooth surface of the drum portion E. 1.

:Fig. 5 shows the relative positionso-fthe typeand rails when placed on a curved surface and it will be noted that the outer side surfaces 2 of the enlargements are drawn away from the web portions of the type and the beveled side surfaces 2 are in intimate contact with the side surfaces of the dove tailed slots on the type. This of course holds all the type firmly in place.

\Vhen the form is used flatwise as in a fiat bed chase, (for example N in Fig. 7), the rows of type and rails are compressed together as by the usual printers wedges shown at V. This causes the type and rails to assume the relative positions shown in Fig. 6, wherein it will be seen that the surfaces 2 on the rails are in intimate contact with the webs of the type, so that when a given form is used in this fashion, the type are firmly held in'place in the entire chase By my invention I'may complete the form by using lines of slugs that are either individual type or linotype slugs of the same pica or I may have some of the lines formed of different width, and if desired I may set up display type between the adjacent ends of short lines of regular type. In such case the display type occupy the same length of form as do the several small lines with their rails.

Fig. 7 also shows the manner in which display type of a considerable larger size than the general form type are set up, such display type being indicated at 20 (Figs. 7 and 5). The block of display type may have at its ends regular or smaller type, as shown, it being understood that the display type size is determined bysome multiple based on the mean distance between two or more of the smaller type. It is to be remembered that such larger type may extend entirely across the form as shown at 5 in Fig. 7, in which case no particular unit of measure is necessary. r

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A printing device comprising a plurality of printing members having type characters thereon, rails arranged to be slid into interlocking engagement with the printing members and held thereby, said engagement permitting the device to conform to supporting surfaces of difierent character.

2. In combination, printing members having characters thereon, a series of retaining members interposed between parallel rows of such first named printing members, one of said members having a dove-tail groove and the other having an enlargement engaging therewith and capableof being turned slight- 1y therein whereby the form may be warped to conform to various supporting surfaces.

3. In a printing device, character bearing printing members arranged in parallel rows, securing members interposed between the rows. said printing members and securing members being mutually shaped to interlock with each other and thus, independently of other devices, to constitute a flexible form.

4. In a. printing device, a plurality of lines of type members, rails interposed between the lines and in interlocking engage ment with said type members, said engagement being such that when the device is placed either in tension or compression, substantially all of the type members are held against movement in the direction of the lines of type.

5. A printing device comprising type slugs having dove tail slots in their opposite sides, rails arranged to loosely fit said slots, and adjustable means for securin said printing device on a printing bed w ereby the slugs andrails may be freely assembled and thereafter stressed to cause the slugs and rails to be held in place by friction.

G. In combination, a printing drum, :1 slideway carried thereby, a plurality of type slugs, a plurality of rails having wedge head shaped side edges, one edge of one rail fitting said slideway and the other edge interlocking with a row of slugs, other similar rails and slugs similarly assembled to form a blanket and an adjustable slideway carried by the drum for engaging the last rail.

7. A printing form adapted for use interchangeably with a printing drum or flat chase, said form comprising rails arranged in rows and having their opposite sides enlarged, and type slugs arranged in lines between adjacent rails, said type slugs having dove tailed slots therein fitting over the enlarged sides of the rails.

8. A printing device comprising in combination a'plurality of parallel rails having enlarged side edges, type members arranged in rows between enlarged side edges and having dove tailed slots in their opposite sides fitting over such adjacent rails.

9. A printing form comprising separate rails arranged in parallel rows, type members in interlocking engagement with adjacent rails, a portion of one line of type in the form being of substantially greater width than others, whereby to support larger char acters, and a plurality of short rails with type of smaller dimensions and arranged in alignment carrying said larger type.

10. A printing form comprising parallel rails of a general X-shaped cross-section, and lines of type having dove tailed slots at their sides adapted to fit loosely but retentively over adjacent sides of such adjacent rails, whereby the form may be made up of any convenient length and may be used either fiatwise or in arcuate form.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

LAWRENCE H. MORSE.

Ill 

